The UAE Pro League celebrated the top football talents of the 2023-2024 season in a grand and unforgettable night at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi. The event was attended by a distinguished crowd, led by His Excellency Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League, along with board members, representatives from sponsoring institutions, clubs, and an elite lineup of sports and media personalities.
The grand ceremony kicked off with a warm welcome speech from His Excellency Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi, who expressed his gratitude to the attendees and highlighted the importance of this annual event, which has become a significant and eagerly awaited celebration in UAE football. Al Jneibi emphasized that this annual celebration has become a highly anticipated event in every professional football season, serving as a driving force for creativity in UAE football, which thrives under the support of the nation’s wise leadership.
He also expressed his appreciation for the UAE Pro League's partners, rights holders, and various media outlets, praising the role and efforts of professional clubs in the "journey of success" across the Pro League’s competitions and events throughout the season, in pursuit of achieving strategic goals.
In his speech, Al Jneibi added: "Today, we gather at the UAE Pro League Awards Ceremony for the 2023-2024 season, a season filled with remarkable successes and cherished memories in the journey of UAE football. This brilliance in the realm of creativity would not have been possible without the boundless contributions and generous support from our wise leadership, which has been our weapon in facing challenges and driving us toward achieving our strategic goals."
The elegant ceremony, hosted by media duo Osama Al-Amiri and Maha Abdullah and featuring artistic performances, included the recognition of the Pro League’s success partners. The UAE Pro League honored its sponsors for their vital role in organizing and developing the various competitions. This recognition extended to media institutions and sports platforms in appreciation of their efforts throughout the season.
The honored sponsors included Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), The President's Initiatives (Mubadarat), Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Emirates Airlines, MBME Group, Rasasi Perfumes, McDonald's UAE, Al Nabooda Automobiles LLC, AvaTrade, Rixos Hotels, Nike, Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports, and Sharjah Sports.
During the ceremony, the winners of the 2023-2024 season awards were announced across 15 categories, divided into three groups: statistics-based awards, voting-based awards, and criteria-based awards.
Participating in the awards ceremony alongside His Excellency Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi were H.E. Jamal Hamed Al Marri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Pro League, and H.E. Khaled Ali Al Mansoori, Executive Chairman of MPM Properties and member of the Executive Committee at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.
Key Award Winners of the Night:
• Ali Saleh, a player of Al Wasl, won the Golden Ball for Best Emirati Player after competing against his teammate Fabio De Lima and Yahya Al Ghassani from Shabab Al Ahli.
• Nicolas Gimenez, also from Al Wasl, secured the Golden Ball for Best Foreign Player, outshining Soufian Rahimi (Al Ain) and Mehdi Ghayedi (Kalba).
• Soufian Rahimi of Al Ain won the Fans' Player of the Year Award, with the fans favoring him over Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl) and Ismaeil Matar (Al Wahda).
• Milos Milojevic, coach of Al Wasl, received the Leader Award for Best Coach, prevailing against Alfred Schreuder (Al Nasr) and Goran Tufegdzic (Al Wahda).
• Khaled Al Senaani, goalkeeper of Al Wasl, won the Golden Glove Award for Best Goalkeeper, surpassing Khalid Eisa (Al Ain) and Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira).
• Ismaeil Matar, the veteran player of Al Wahda, was awarded the Fan's Goal of the Year for his stunning goal, winning against Soufian Rahimi (Al Ain) and Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl).
• Sultan Adill of Kalba claimed the Golden Boy Award for Best Young Emirati Player, with the final nominees including Mohammed Abbas Al Balooshi (Al Ain) and Bader Nasser (Shabab Al Ahli).
• Seko Baba Gassama of Al Bataeh secured the Golden Boy Award for Best Young Player
(Resident/Born), winning over Siaka Sidibe (Al Wasl) and Guilherme Bala (Shabab Al Ahli).
In the statistics-based awards, Omar Khribin, the Syrian international striker for Al Wahda, won the Golden Shoe for ADNOC Pro League Top Scorer with 19 goals. Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Facundo Daniel (Al Wahda), and Daniel Bessa (Kalba) shared the Golden Shoe for ADIB Cup Top Scorers. Mansoor Saeed of Al Wahda won the Silver Shoe for U23 Pro League Top Scorer.
In the criteria-based awards, Al Ain FC won the Fans' League Award, surpassing Al Wasl and Al Jazira, while Al Wasl FC took home the Professional Excellence in Club Licensing Award, competing against Shabab Al Ahli and Al Ain.
Ahmed Humaid Al Haroush won the Fantasy Manager of the Year Award in the ADNOC Pro League Fantasy game with a total of 1,926 points.
Unveiling the Dream Team of the Season
The ceremony also saw the reveal of the "Dream Team" for the 2023-2024 season, featuring the best performers in each position:
• Goalkeeper: Khaled Al Senaani (Al Wasl)
• Defenders: Bader Nasser (Shabab Al Ahli), Soufian Bouftini (Al Wasl), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Al Jazira)
• Midfielders: Soufian Rahimi (Al Ain), Nicolas Gimenez (Al Wasl), Seko Baba (Al Bataeh)
• Forwards: Fabio Lima (Al Wasl), Ali Saleh (Al Wasl), Omar Khribin (Al Wahda), Sultan Adill (Kalba)
Special Recognition for Media and Digital Platforms
On the sidelines of the UAE Pro League Awards, media institutions and sports digital platforms were honored for their outstanding coverage throughout the season. H.E. Hassan Talib Al Marri and H.E. Saeed Obaid Al Kaabi, members of the UAE Pro League’s board, presented commemorative shields to media representatives.
The UAE Pro League Stadium Experience
The UAE Pro League presented an immersive "Matchday Experience" at the "UAE Pro League Stadium," beginning with a ticket booth where guests received their entry passes. They then entered an interactive tunnel featuring screens displaying the various awards categories, leading to a corridor designed to resemble a locker room, showcasing the kits of the 14 clubs participating in the 2024-2025 season, along with interactive screens providing information about each club.
Guests were then guided to the red carpet area, where they were met by media for interviews and photo opportunities, experiencing the star-studded atmosphere of the event. The journey continued to the sponsors’ area, specially designed by the UAE Pro League to honor its partners. This area featured the league’s trophies, sponsors’ logos, and various activities, providing guests with opportunities to take commemorative photos.
The UAE Pro League Stadium also included an exhibition of the main awards, with a unique design inspired by the UAE Pro League’s logo. The Pro League incorporated AI technology, showcasing a hologram that interacted with visitors, providing information about the event.
Additionally, the UAE Pro League dedicated a "Pro Café," where guests could gather and socialize before the start of the ceremony.
UAE Pro League Store at Emirates Palace
Visitors to the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental had the chance to visit the UAE Pro League Store in the hotel lobby, which has been open since August 7. The store offered guests the opportunity to take commemorative photos in a press conference setup similar to those held on matchdays. Interactive screens allowed visitors to digitally capture photos wearing their favorite club’s jerseys.
The store also featured a range of "Back to School" items, club merchandise, jerseys, and miniature trophies from the competitions organized by the UAE Pro League.
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